Bay to Breakers hits its stride after slow start

103rd running keeps it weird while police keep it under control

Long after the elite runners crossed the finish line, thousands of partiers continued to whoop it up along the Bay to Breakers course Sunday afternoon, crowding the Panhandle and filling streets with debauchery.

Organizers stressed fun and safety for the 103rd annual race, even as police cracked down on partying near Alamo Square - a strategy that seemed to push revelers farther west. While the crowd was larger along Fell Street and in the Panhandle than it was last year, officials said the party remained under control.

After a short delay because of insecure scaffolding on the Hayes Street Hill, waves of runners set off from San Francisco's SoMa neighborhood around 8:24 a.m. No major problems were reported, although two people were taken to local hospitals after suffering minor injuries in the race, according to Francis Zamora, a spokesman for the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management.

Police arrested 24 people for public intoxication Sunday and cited three people for urinating in public, said Police Department spokesman Officer Albie Esparza. Four others were cited for "quality of life" violations, and three more were hit with drug charges. Also, one person was arrested for reportedly jumping into the bison enclosure at Golden Gate Park, he added.

Winners

The fog broke at Ocean Beach as the winners completed the 12-kilometer course shortly after 9 a.m., with Geoffrey Kenisi crossing the finish line first in 35:06 and Diane Johnson five minutes behind at 40:15. The first three finishers, including Kenisi, were all Kenyan natives, as in years past.

Kenisi fell to the ground in prayer after his finish, then got up and did a little victory dance. He said he was thrilled to win, which earned him a $3,000 prize.

Most of the 40,000 or so runners came with fun in mind. But race rules have tightened over the years. While nudity is still OK, drinking is not allowed. This year, officials fenced off most of Alamo Square Park near the Hayes Street Hill and erected a small city of portable bathrooms, hoping to satisfy neighbors who say the park had turned into a drunken party zone.

Police were making good on the booze ban, grabbing beer out of hands and pouring out flasks of alcohol along the hill.

Supervisor London Breed, whose district includes much of the race route in central San Francisco, said she went on a ride-along with police officers around midday and was pleased with what she saw. Race organizers were quick to clean up Hayes Street in Hayes Valley after the runners moved on, and Breed said she was hearing positive feedback from residents who had expressed anger in years past.

Still, she said, the closure of Alamo Square did seem to result in larger crowds elsewhere.

"I am hearing surprisingly good news," she said. "It is nuts in the Panhandle. ... There are large mobs of people going into the Panhandle. It's something we have come to expect - the cops are out in full force."

Panhandle packed

Police were slow to move the partiers clogging Fell Street along the Panhandle, missing the 2 p.m. deadline to open the street to traffic. The Panhandle was packed with costumed revelers, many of them drinking alcohol. Among the players on the public basketball court were a man in a furry alligator suit and a woman dressed as a pink frosted doughnut.

Even in the official part of the race, things remained weird. A nude runner wearing only a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle mask, who identified himself as Raphael Rodgerson, 26, said he completed the race in 41 minutes, a personal best. The Alameda resident took his minimal costume seriously.

"When you take off the shell, this is what you see," he said. "Pure manhood, nothing else."

Thousands of other runners were also taking the wacky event in stride, many of them taking their time to soak up the sights.

Chelsea Clays, who works at a tech startup, was dressed as a flamingo for her first Bay to Breakers.

"I'm really, really stoked - I'm looking for good fun and great memories," she said at the starting line. "I want to at least finish."

For some runners, it was a family affair. Octogenarian Lee Cowden was there with her daughter and four grandkids, holding a sign that declared, "82 and still going strong."

"You can actually run in a disco shirt," he explained. "You feel bad for the guys who aren't in costume."

"I hope to look as good as I do now when I cross the finish line," she added.

Runners like the revelry

But even those dressed in plain running clothes said they attend for the festive spirit that makes Bay to Breakers a truly unique footrace.

"I used to be really serious - I still compete, I came here to compete, (but I also) just want to have fun," said Wayne Poymale, who was running the race for the 34th time. "It's a San Francisco tradition. It's like Mardi Gras in May."

A woman tried to deal with a prehistoric runner in front of a large party of Hayes Street. The annual Bay to Breakers event in San Francisco, Calif. attracted thousands of runners and revelers as they made their way up the Hayes Street Hill Sunday May 18, 2014. less

A woman tried to deal with a prehistoric runner in front of a large party of Hayes Street. The annual Bay to Breakers event in San Francisco, Calif. attracted thousands of runners and revelers as they made ... more

A woman tried to deal with a prehistoric runner in front of a large party of Hayes Street. The annual Bay to Breakers event in San Francisco, Calif. attracted thousands of runners and revelers as they made their way up the Hayes Street Hill Sunday May 18, 2014. less

A woman tried to deal with a prehistoric runner in front of a large party of Hayes Street. The annual Bay to Breakers event in San Francisco, Calif. attracted thousands of runners and revelers as they made ... more